


First Aid

by rinwins



Category: Monsterkind (Webcomic), Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Crossover Pairings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-15 00:25:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5764684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinwins/pseuds/rinwins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eno patches Spender up after missions. That's the rule.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Aid

“Eno, I'm _fine_.”

“Mm. You certainly are.”

“It looks a lot worse than it is.”

“I'm still going to check,” Eno says calmly. “You know the rule. Every inch.”

Spender shoots him a lopsided grin. “ _Every_ inch?”

Eno carefully applies a band-aid to the scratch on his arm. “If you're good.” He looks over the rest of that arm, wrist, hand- there's another small scrape over his knuckles- then taps his shoulder. “Arm up, please.”

His ribs on that side do look fine, but Eno runs his hand gently over the skin anyway. Rules are rules.

He's always so warm- probably his metabolism working overtime to keep up with him plus two spirits- and honestly, Eno doesn't need the post-mission rule as an excuse to touch him. He takes his time, brushing his fingers carefully over the ridge of each rib, feeling the breath come just a little faster in Spender's thin chest.

“You're doing this on _purpose_.”

“You expect anything else? Patience, Richard.” Eno draws out the name, giving it soft French consonants. “I don't want to miss anything.”

He moves his hand down Spender's side- and he draws in a quiet sharp hiss of breath, and suddenly the heat that's been building between them goes cold.

“Sorry!” Eno exclaims, pulling his hand back. “What is it?”

\---

Eno puts his teacup down very hurriedly. “Mon Dieu,” he says, “what _happened_?”

Spender leans in the doorway. His clothes are mud-stained, his jacket sleeve is torn, there's a cut on the exposed skin of his upper arm and another just missing his eye. He gives Eno a rueful look. “Any chance you'd believe me if I said nothing?”

“ _Richard._ ”

“Okay, look, my job is- sometimes it can be dangerous.”

Eno folds his arms. “Your job,” he repeats, fighting to keep the shaking out of his voice. “As a public school teacher.”

“That too,” Spender says. He shrugs, and immediately winces. “I hoped you wouldn't have to know.”

“And how well did you think that was going to work?” Eno snaps. But even as he does, he knows he's snapping because he's shocked and afraid, and makes himself take a deep- if shaky- breath.

“If this is going to work,” he says, “we have to trust each other. Please- tell me the truth.”

“I will,” says Spender. “I promise. But I have to get this cleaned up first.”

He limps forward. Eno unsticks his feet from the floor and goes to support him. “I'll help you,” he says.

\---

“Spectral thorn,” Spender says, pulling out something Eno can't see and flicking it away. “Thought I dodged those.”

A tiny drop of blood wells up from the spot. Eno moves to clean it away, but Spender catches his hand and holds it. “I know you worry,” he says. “You don't have to.”

“We do a lot of things we don't have to,” says Eno. He takes his hand back gently, and just as gently cleans the invisible wound. “I know you're as careful as you can be,” he says, “and I wouldn't dream of asking you not to go- but- I've lost people I cared about before. It doesn't get easier.”

He finishes with the spot. Spender’s quiet. “There,” Eno says, and manages a smile for him. “Does it hurt?”

That's a cue. Spender smiles back. “Some,” he says.

Eno bends and, carefully, kisses the skin there. He takes his hand, kisses his knuckle next to the scrape, then the one on his arm. “Where else does it hurt?” he says.

Spender puts a finger to his own lips. “Here.”

Eno leans in to kiss him. Spender allows him one little brush of lips. Then he turns his cheek instead, and laughs a little at Eno's quiet noise of surprised indignation.

“Finish the other side,” he says. “Rules are rules, remember?”


End file.
